Towing 10k+ with a 'Burb.......Duraburb or ??
Hey guys; My wife and I recently bought a Sierra 321BHT. 900# TW and 9400# dry. I have a ProPride 3P sitting in the garage, waiting to be installed. Currently towing with a 2011 F250 Crew ...
Forum Discussion
I hadn't seriously considered the Mega Cab Ram, but I will research that option further.
Re retrofitting the Curt XD hitch to the GMT900 chassis, the guys at Duraburb told me it was a direct bolt-on hitch (I have no reason to doubt him, in fact he could have told me that they re-engineered the rear of the truck and worked magic to get a hitch on there, but didn't). I don't have one handy (mom has one, but it's a 1/2 ton with different frame), but these two pics are interesting.
http://www.hitchsource.com/class-trailer-hitch-p-34221.html?gclid=CP2TuaCwwroCFcZFMgodXmoAUg shows the hitch.
http://forums.motorhomemagazine.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26713670/print/true/single/true.cfm shows the commonly shared photo of the GMT900 rear frame.
I see two holes present in the frame, assuming the 3rd is just out of view. It sure looks like that hitch will fit (which jives with what I've been told)
NOW, the issue is GVWR with the Duramax conversion (interestingly enough, an Excursion Diesel has almost the exact same 1400# available for cargo/passengers/tongue weight and this also seems to be a common complaint on that platform)..........and whether bolting the hitch on and "living with it" via the 6.0 / 6 speed combo is do-able.
Someone asked about my GMT800 experience:)
I had a 2005 Duramax 2500HD Crew Cab LT. Bought it with 93k. Traded it in with 103k. During those 10k miles, it needed:
Both front wheel bearings
Intermediate steering shaft
All 4 shocks were leaking
Rear axle seal blown
Fuel pressure regulator or something like that (wouldn't hold boost)
6 disc CD player grenaded, had OEM rebuilt to maintain rear DVD player
HVAC system went crazy, was blowing hot air half the time to the passenger seat, even though A/C was selected (blend door issues?)
Paint started peeling off the lower rear quarter panels, both sides (never wrecked)
Clearance light leaked water into the sunglass holder and spilled out when it rained
ABS light randomly came on on bumpy roads.
That generation Duramax towed HOT, real HOT.....ended up with a bigger throttle plate and intake assembly, which helped a little, but my fan ran almost the entire time towing the old 8k loaded trailer in 70 degree weather.
Final straw was on our vacation, after I dropped about 5 Grand into the truck trying to get it READY, we made it 2 hours from home, pulling the (old) camper, and I got a CEL. Pulled the code and it was a sticking turbo vane. EGTs were spiking through the roof. Yay. I traded it in mid-trip on a used 2008 F250 6.4 diesel and didn't look back. While we were moving the car-seat over to the new truck at the dealer, the Security Lock thing engaged and I couldn't get the damn thing to start. LOL, I often wonder what happened to that truck........the guy I bought it from (backside story as a friend of a friend who sold it to him new) was an older guy who bought a new GM truck every 3 years and traded em in, he'd never had any real issues with it. Apparently he saved 'em all for me;)
Thanks again to everyone for the help.
Re retrofitting the Curt XD hitch to the GMT900 chassis, the guys at Duraburb told me it was a direct bolt-on hitch (I have no reason to doubt him, in fact he could have told me that they re-engineered the rear of the truck and worked magic to get a hitch on there, but didn't). I don't have one handy (mom has one, but it's a 1/2 ton with different frame), but these two pics are interesting.
http://www.hitchsource.com/class-trailer-hitch-p-34221.html?gclid=CP2TuaCwwroCFcZFMgodXmoAUg shows the hitch.
http://forums.motorhomemagazine.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26713670/print/true/single/true.cfm shows the commonly shared photo of the GMT900 rear frame.
I see two holes present in the frame, assuming the 3rd is just out of view. It sure looks like that hitch will fit (which jives with what I've been told)
NOW, the issue is GVWR with the Duramax conversion (interestingly enough, an Excursion Diesel has almost the exact same 1400# available for cargo/passengers/tongue weight and this also seems to be a common complaint on that platform)..........and whether bolting the hitch on and "living with it" via the 6.0 / 6 speed combo is do-able.
Someone asked about my GMT800 experience:)
I had a 2005 Duramax 2500HD Crew Cab LT. Bought it with 93k. Traded it in with 103k. During those 10k miles, it needed:
Both front wheel bearings
Intermediate steering shaft
All 4 shocks were leaking
Rear axle seal blown
Fuel pressure regulator or something like that (wouldn't hold boost)
6 disc CD player grenaded, had OEM rebuilt to maintain rear DVD player
HVAC system went crazy, was blowing hot air half the time to the passenger seat, even though A/C was selected (blend door issues?)
Paint started peeling off the lower rear quarter panels, both sides (never wrecked)
Clearance light leaked water into the sunglass holder and spilled out when it rained
ABS light randomly came on on bumpy roads.
That generation Duramax towed HOT, real HOT.....ended up with a bigger throttle plate and intake assembly, which helped a little, but my fan ran almost the entire time towing the old 8k loaded trailer in 70 degree weather.
Final straw was on our vacation, after I dropped about 5 Grand into the truck trying to get it READY, we made it 2 hours from home, pulling the (old) camper, and I got a CEL. Pulled the code and it was a sticking turbo vane. EGTs were spiking through the roof. Yay. I traded it in mid-trip on a used 2008 F250 6.4 diesel and didn't look back. While we were moving the car-seat over to the new truck at the dealer, the Security Lock thing engaged and I couldn't get the damn thing to start. LOL, I often wonder what happened to that truck........the guy I bought it from (backside story as a friend of a friend who sold it to him new) was an older guy who bought a new GM truck every 3 years and traded em in, he'd never had any real issues with it. Apparently he saved 'em all for me;)
Thanks again to everyone for the help.
